24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 191

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 191

 

Episode 191. Singularity (4)

 

I’ve never seen a musical or a play.

 

I couldn’t even afford to go to movie theaters, so there’s no way I would have gone to see performances that cost several times more than movie tickets.

 

But why am I a performance producer when I don’t even know the ‘P’ in performance.

 

‘This hat is way too heavy.’

 

All I’ve done so far is run around wearing my brother’s face.

 

Oh, wait.

 

There were several stories that could never have been resolved if I hadn’t intervened.

 

That was possible because I had the authority to freely roam backstage, that is, the stage before the performance begins, and make adjustments.

 

I pondered for a long time before opening my mouth.

 

“So scenarios are like a kind of participatory theater…?”

 

“Interesting way to put it?”

 

Asmodeus let out a light laugh.

 

“A performance needs actors and audience, and staff who create the performance. Performers are the actors, awakened ones are the audience, and I would be the staff.”

 

I rambled to Asmodeus while organizing the information in my head piece by piece.

 

There was a reason why the NPCs in each scenario were called ‘Performers.’

 

Honestly, I don’t know exactly what a performance producer does, but just from what I’ve learned so far, the producer’s role is clear.

 

‘My role is to help the performance flow smoothly.’

 

In terms of business and administrative aspects, I suppose.

 

‘I thought I was just a simple merchant.’

 

Honestly, even if you just go to the 75th Floor Irregular Dimensional Market, that place is a wholesale market, not like a base for producers.

 

But it’s not something to ignore.

 

It means all the merchants running stalls and doing business there carry a great mission like me.

 

…Even that blue heterochromatic merchant from the stall across from mine.

 

‘I’m a legend for doing it right without knowing anything.’

 

Was I born to be a producer?

 

I had no sense but somehow did well on my own.

 

If Babel was watching me, they’d be giving me a standing ovation for picking a good producer.

 

I observed the Performers’ stories from the closest position and delivered the stories to the audience most efficiently.

 

Come to think of it… like a mediator?

 

The merchant’s role was to stand at the crossroads between Performers and Hunters so scenarios could proceed smoothly.

 

Though there’s a difference from actual performances in that what I mediated wasn’t items but stories.

 

‘Anyway, I did play the role of bringing out the best stories.’

 

The endings would have been very different if I hadn’t intervened.

 

One item discovered at the market, one conversation shared with Performers twisted the flow of scenarios and opened new directions.

 

I decided not to underestimate my own abilities.

 

In this harsh modern society, it would be too painful if even I couldn’t trust myself.

 

…Though thinking about the mermaids and kraken who died in Laocoön, I wasn’t always successful.

 

Anyway, what I was buying and selling wasn’t items but the smoothness of scenarios.

 

And my brother is…

 

‘Ha, Lee Hae-on, that crazy bastard.’

 

“What are you thinking about to make such a strange expression?”

 

“The producer isn’t the only staff member in a performance.”

 

“Tell me, Lee Hae-won.”

 

Asmodeus smiled languidly and urged me on.

 

My heart raced at his attitude as if he already knew what I was going to say.

 

It was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out.

 

I carefully opened my mouth, trying not to stutter.

 

“You said my brother has similar abilities to me, right?”

 

“Yes, I did?”

 

“But from Asmodeus’s reaction earlier, it seems like there can’t be multiple producers.”

 

This was almost a certainty.

 

Even in Asmodeus’s dimension, the market manager seemed to be the producer.

 

In South Korea, no, on Earth, I’m the only market manager, so there wouldn’t be any other producers besides me.

 

“Then what does it seem like? I can’t tell you. You have to say it yourself, Lee Hae-won.”

 

I now perfectly understand that Asmodeus won’t be bound by restrictions if I figure it out myself.

 

My brother must have a different title, not producer.

 

A role that stands backstage like me.

 

Wandering around unopened floors looking for singularities, and those words about wanting to see a ‘perfect story.’

 

And I was already intuiting what role my brother had.

 

I asked with a trembling voice.

 

“Was my brother a ‘director’?”

 

Asmodeus just grinned without any answer.

 

His gaze, now much softer as he stared at me intently, contained something.

 

Too complex to call pity, too quiet to call interest.

 

“That’s the right answer, isn’t it?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

“It is the right answer.”

 

“Please say it’s not~?”

 

“That means it’s correct.”

 

When I muttered in a troubled tone, Asmodeus shrugged as if it was no big deal.

 

‘It’s totally a big deal though.’

 

Even if there are actors and audience, a stage and a producer, it’s useless without a director to design the performance.

 

But my brother, who smiles so kindly, is that director.

 

And I’m the producer.

 

We really divided up the roles in a strange way.

 

It’s like a story where the Lee siblings, who lost their parents and lived desperately depending on each other, were actually Babel’s masterminds.

 

Not masterminds but Babel’s minions… would that be more accurate?

 

We didn’t even receive direct orders from Babel, but we’re like a self-made theater troupe that put on good performances on our own…

 

As my head filled with absurd thoughts, fatigue began to hit me rapidly.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them.

 

The question that arises here is why it had to be us siblings.

 

“But Asmodeus.”

 

“Yes, do you still have more questions~?”

 

“Are those titles given to just anyone? Randomly?”

 

I briefly wondered if a demon would understand ‘randomly,’ but Asmodeus seemed to immediately grasp the intent of my question.

 

“How do you think the Tower of Babel came to be built in the dimension called ‘Earth’?”

 

Of course, that didn’t come back as a direct answer.

 

He’s going to make me say the answer myself with another question.

 

I silently waited for Asmodeus to speak again.

 

“There are countless dimensions in this world. Thousands, tens of thousands of dimensions, so how did it end up specifically on Earth?”

 

“You mean the Tower of Babel wasn’t just built randomly?”

 

“You can’t let a stage fail after setting it up.”

 

Asmodeus giggled as if he had said something mischievous.

 

I pondered Asmodeus’s words and sighed.

 

“You mean Babel was already watching this place.”

 

I thought it was just randomly built in some unlucky dimension.

 

But they chose a dimension where they could put on good performances by building the tower.

 

‘No, my brain capacity is going to burst.’

 

Aren’t foreshadowing elements supposed to be laid out carefully and then gradually unraveled?

 

Why are so many things suddenly being revealed all at once?

 

My temples started throbbing with pain.

 

As I was pressing both temples firmly with my thumbs, Asmodeus spoke.

 

“You’re clever, but it’s an ambiguous correct answer.”

 

“Then let’s make it multiple correct answers.”

 

“Hmm, but it’s not the exact answer, you know?”

 

“Where exactly is it ambiguous?”

 

Saying it’s ambiguous only sounds like my head is going to get even more complicated.

 

When I asked back with an unconsciously sharp attitude, Asmodeus narrowed his eyes and made a pouty expression.

 

If it weren’t for the Merchant’s Eyes, I would have flinched at that heart-fluttering expression.

 

“Because that wasn’t your question.”

 

Ah, right.

 

The question I asked was…

 

“…I was also a selected role, wasn’t I.”

 

Whether titles are given randomly to just anyone.

 

My head went cold.

 

Wow, so there was no choice at all.

 

I wasn’t born with the fate of an ordinary citizen, but with the fate of a Creator.

 

“You seem shocked, Lee Hae-won.”

 

Asmodeus suppressed his laughter while acting sympathetic.

 

Of course, Asmodeus’s thoughts were vaguely correct.

 

Being a selected Creator was naturally shocking, but there was a more one-dimensional thought that came to mind first.

 

‘This is fucking awesome.’

 

I mean, honestly, it’s amazing.

 

With Earth’s population being several billion, I was assigned such an important role among all of them.

 

Of course, all my situations up until now have been nothing but tiresome things, so I was sick of it.

 

And just hearing about it now makes me tired, so I want to just pretend I don’t know anything and run away.

 

‘Turns out I’m the chosen one.’

 

Wait, isn’t this actually the Truman Show?

 

I asked stupidly, unable to believe it.

 

“But why me?”

 

“Why are you asking me that~? Maybe because you’re cute?”

 

“That would be Asmodeus’s opinion. Why would Babel find me cute?”

 

“If not cute, then maybe it discovered something. In you, Lee Hae-won.”

 

How on earth did it know about me?

 

If Babel had received some divine revelation and chosen me, that would at least make sense.

 

But even I think there was nothing particularly outstanding about me before receiving the title, so it’s very suspicious.

 

“You’re making a strange expression again.”

 

I must have been making quite a funny expression.

 

Asmodeus, who had been looking at me with interested eyes, soon rested his chin on his hand.

 

Asmodeus, who had been gently tapping his cheek with smooth fingers without a single callus, casually threw out:

 

“Haven’t you met before?”

 

“Met who?”

 

“Babel.”

 

“…Is Babel a person?”

 

“Probably not a person.”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Something with the ability to awaken ordinary people and bring destroyed dimensions to create scenarios obviously wouldn’t be human.

 

As I was thinking that, I belatedly realized that Asmodeus’s words were meaningful.

 

Just as I was about to ask something back, Asmodeus raised his index finger to his lips.

 

Shh, stop.

 

Asmodeus, who had firmly silenced me with a resolute expression, whispered quietly.

 

“Memories also fall asleep, Lee Hae-won.”

 

It wasn’t a roundabout way of speaking.

 

“See you again next time, Lee Hae-won. You promised to make it fun then, right~?”

 

What a leisurely attitude after throwing such a huge hint at me.

 

After telling me there would be moments I couldn’t remember.

 

I was confused, taking the bait, but Asmodeus stood up without any lingering attachment.

 

Asmodeus walked toward the door without even giving me a glance, as if there was nothing more to say.

 

Listening to the clicking sound of heels, I couldn’t overcome the newly arising doubts and frowned.

 

‘Could it be that I’ve actually faced Babel before?’

 

…If so, when exactly?

 

* * *

 

Ridiculously, the first thing I did upon leaving the Babel Management Bureau was contact Alessandro.

 

[> Middle Manager Message

 

– Are you going to do this again? Today’s Arong Incident Hot Pot will be at its finest taste. Ι Alessandro Hale (Babel Square Branch)]

 

‘I know that too…’

 

I bought him 10 Korean recipe books even though he couldn’t even get a Korean cooking license…

 

I thought I would go home with a lighter heart after talking with Asmodeus.

 

But what is this?

 

My head is so complicated that I want to be alone even more.

 

I’m hungry but have no appetite, so I just want to pretend I don’t know anything and run away.

 

Maybe it would have been better not to know such heavy truths.

 

“Hah…”

 

I let out a deep sigh and walked along the Main Road.

 

After revealing my identity to the Babel Management Bureau, I came under the Guild’s protection.

 

So I’m in a situation where I can come outside comfortably without worrying about being chased.

 

Though my mind isn’t comfortable.

 

‘Really very uncomfortable.’

 

Maybe taking a walk will clear my head a bit.

 

I took those steps with such hopeful thoughts, but I would regret my choice 30 minutes later.

 

Because in the middle of the walking path I took to escape from all kinds of worries and trials.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

“…Unnie.”

 

“…Could you let go of my clothes?”

 

Nam Pu-reum, who has flashy titles like Leader of Karma, Rank 5, Silent Executioner, had grabbed onto me.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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